Review: Invisible Shield For The 2G iPod Touch

As all iPod users know, the back of your little friend is very susceptible to getting scratched and in a few months of use, your iPod will have lost its original shine. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The most popular type of protection - iPod cases - involve adding bulk in your pocket and losing that sexy Apple design. An alternative solution are transparent skins. They offer a good degree of protection while letting you keep your iPod looking like an iPod.

While there are various transparent skins for the 2G iPod touch, I decided to review Invisible Shield by Zagg because they promise complete scratch protection. (If the shield should get any damage whatsoever, Zagg will replace it free of charge.)

I was skeptical and I really wanted to give Invisible Shield a challenge…

Although it arrived 3 days late, I was pleased to find that the package was slim enough to fit in my mailbox.

The Invisible Shield’s black box, similar in size to a DVD box, contained the shields for my iPod’s front and back, a rubber squeegee and a surprisingly generous amount of “Shield Spray”. The back of the box had simple intructions for installation and provided a link for more detailed help and a couple of useful videos.

The installation of the front cover was surprisingly simple: just spray the skin with “Shield Spray”, place it on the iPod moving it into place and squeeze out the air bubbles and excess liquid with the squeegee. It was easily done in a couple of minutes.

The back cover was one of the reasons why I had chosen Invisble Shield - it was one of the only products that also offered protection of the back but when I got installing the back cover, I was in for a disappointment. Due to the second generation iPod touch’s rounded back, the corners of the Shield were very awkward and didn’t want to stick to the device. I followed the advice given on the box and left the Shield to dry for a few minutes so it could become tackier. It didn’t work.

After five failed attempts, I was getting frustrated. The edges of the Shield just wouldn’t stick to my iPod. I took a break and searched for help on the internet. As it turns out, I was not the only one with this problem. Many users had given up but some had kept on trying and shared some very helpful advice.

I tried again and using the techniques learned, finally managed to get it on. It was far from perfect - it wasn’t aligned properly and the corners had little pockets of air, but at least it stuck! The trick was to press and mold the corners in the palm of your hand for extended periods.

After a good hour of work, my Shield was on and I was happy.

There is a huge difference in grip - I can now hold my iPod on my hand almost vertically, but it has lost the distintive cold glass and metal feel. It feels warm and plasticy. The Invisible Shield has an orange-peelish texture that you can’t help noticing, both on the front and back. The home button is also covered and loses its distinctive click.

But Zagg has kept its promise. The Invisible Shield is truly scratch proof. Scraping the front with my fingernail leaves a line which disappears in a few seconds. Even keys can’t hurt this bastard.

Although I didn’t get the corners quite right, I’m staying with Invisible Shield to protect my iPod touch.

Cons: Rather difficult installation of the back cover, especially the corners. Ugly orange peel texture.

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